The 2014 MasterCard of Global Destinations Cities Index has named Nigeria’s entertainment and commercial hub, Lagos, as the 4th most visited destination in Africa.
The MasterCard index reveals that 1.3 million international overnight visitors are expected to have visited Lagos by the end of this year, up by 5.8 percent from the 1.25 million in 2013, putting Lagos in the 4th position while South African cities of Johannesburg and Cape Town come in at first and second places as the most popular destination cities.
Jo’burg and Cape Town, as far as international overnight visitors ranking goes, have attracted 4.2 million and 1.6 million visitors in 2014 respectively.
Egypt’s Cairo (1.35 million) and Casablanca in Morocco (982,219) occupy the third and fifth place on the index in terms of international visitors.
According to further reports, Africa Retail Development Index also named Lagos as the most populous city in Africa, listing the city as the second most attractive destination on the continent for retail sector investors, according to the 2014 Africa Retail Development Index.
Speaking on the MasterCard Global destinations Cities Index, Vice President and Area Business head of MasterCard in West Africa, Omokehinde Ojomuyide stated the impact of significant of travelling on any economy.
‘The impacts of travel are very significant from a business, social, and cultural perspective. International visitors’ spending constitutes an
increasingly important source of business revenue in leading cities around the world, encompassing the hospitality, retail, transport,
sports and culture industries, among many others, and Lagos welcomes its growth.’